hamas continue this morning and the threat of an expanding conflict remains as israeli troops meet at the gaza border. >> a parade float carrying wounded vets and their families is struck by a train. >> three employees face criminal charges from the gulf oil spill. staten island support. president obama visits one of new york city's neighborhoods hardest hit by hurricane sandy. >> this is the "cbs morning news" for friday, november 16,

2012. >> good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm duarte geraldino. this morning israel offered to temporary stop its offensive at the gaza strip with rocket fire. israel said it would hold fire during the egyptian prime minister visit as long as hamas held its fire. the president isisiting to show solidarity with hamas. shortly after the prime minister militants fired rockets into israel. violence between israelis and palestinians intensified this week with both sides firing rockets across the border with israel. the israeli military kept up its offensive overnight and into the morning. an air strike hit the ministry building. israel struck at suspected hamas sites. palestinian health officials said 19 people have been killed

in gaza since the israeli offensive began. the conflict could escalate even further israeli troops and tanks amassed at the border. >> i hope had a mazz and other terrorist organizations in gaza got the message. if not israel is prepared to take whatever action is necessary to defend our people. >> despite that message, militants continued to attack targets in southern israel. three israelis were killed when a rocket struck their apartment building were buried thursday. neighbors said the threat of violence won't force her to leave. >> my place. i love this place. >> even though another rocket could come any time. >> even ten times. >> for the first time hamas launched iranian made rockets capable of reaching tel aviv. israeli defense officials say while hamas has fired over 300

rockets, israel's missile defense system intercepted 130 of them. this latest round of violence ratcheted up on wednday, israel killed hamas's chief with an air strike. during his visit the egyptian prime minister called israel's attacks on gaza aggression the world needs to stop. former cia director david petraeus was the on capitol hill. meanwhile the investigation into the sex camethat cost petraeus his job is heating up. the cia opened up an glags into petraeus conduct. defense secretary leon panetta asked the joint chiefs to review ethics training for officers and eric holder commented on the petraeus affair said there was no security breach or threat to national security. susan mcginnis is in washington. susan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. general petraeus may be asked about this extramarital affair

but the focus today is on benghazi. petraeus went to libya after the killings and these leaders believe he has specific information no one else can offer. former cia director david petraeus is headed to capitol hill this morning to talk about the attacks on the u.s. consulate in benghazi. congressional leaders say he has a unique insight. >> director petraeus went to tripoli, he interviewed many of the people as i understand it that were involved. >> reporter: house senate intelligence members spent thursday interviewing officials. they were shown a video taken from cameras and drones flying overhead. >> it begins from when the incident, before the incident started and it goes through the incident. and the exodus.

>> reporter: members still have questions. there's new information out of thursday's congressional hearing. lawmakers said it was confirmed to them susan rice was told spontaneous protests over an islamic film sparked the attack. rice was given the information as part of an unclassified briefing before she appeared on sunday morning talk shows five days after the attack. >> that unclassified version turned out to be inaccurate as we found out later. >> reporter: several republican senators are threatening to block rice from becoming the next secretary of state because of her assertions that the attacks didn't appear to be pre-planned. petraeus' testimony is critical to this investigation. several more hearing are yet to be held. a preliminary investigation indicates the railroad crossing gate and lights weren't working

when a freight train slammed into a float. the float was carrying wounded veterans and spouses yesterday. four people are dead. the float was about halfway across the tracks when the crossing gates came down. >> the truck tried to blow his horn to get the other people out of his way. the gates actually hit the first people on the trailer. started going back up and it wasn't, i'd say eight to ten seconds later the train blew through the end of the trailer. >> it's unclear if the train saw the float. the national transportation safety board is investigating. attorney general eric holder says the investigation into the bp gulf oil spill isn't over even though bp has agreed to pay the highest fine in history. the settlement comes 2 1/2 years after the rig explosion killed 11 oil riggers.

>> reporter: the two former bp employees charged with manslaughter were the two highest ranking supervisors. they were in charge with the task of grave danger. combustible gas was seeping into the well. the indictment alleges bp managers failed to call engineers on shore to discuss the abnormal readings. instead they allowed work on the well to continue. the gas came up the well and exploded. u.s. attorney general eric holder. >> this is an indication, perhaps a vindication that we have shown as a result of their actions people died there unnecessarily. >> federal authorities charged former bp vice president with lying to investigators about the amount of oil leak being from the oil.

according to the indictment he insisted 5,000 barrels of oil were leaking every day when he was affair bp's own engineers estimated it was leaking as much as 82,000 barrels mr. day. assistant attorney general -- >> he cherry picked pages from documents, withheld other documents all together, and lied to congress and others to make this spill appear less catastrophic than it was. >> shelly anderson's husband jason died in the explosion. it was supposed to be his final day on deepwater horizon. she has mixed emotions about today's announcement. >> wish that we would have been able to have our day in court and i would have been able to tell a jury exactly what our loss is, how much we miss ay son. >> the three men who are charged say they are innocent. in fact, a lawyer for one of the men called his clients a scapegoat. bp settlement with the

department of justice ends criminal prosecution of the company but bp could still face another $20 billion in fines if it loses a civil lawsuit next year. coming up on the morning news, in the disaster zone. president obama offers comforts to victims of hurricane sandy. this is the morning news. ocerie. america runs on dunkin'. you've been there. you pick out a makeup thinking it's your shade until you actually try it out. now, i have a make up that always gets it right. announcer: smart shade make up instantly adjust to match perfectly to your skin. only from almay. only for me.

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now proven to build a moisture reserve, so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. only from aveeno. so skin can replenish itself. this is just released video showing the power, destruction of hurricane sandy. it's from an underground train station in hoboken, new jersey. water pours into the station so fast it quickly flood the tracks and everything else. president obama visited one of new york city's neighborhoods that was devastated. >> reporter: president obama offered hugs and support to victims recovering from

hurricane sandy. he visited a hard hit island in staten island where 19 people died. the president met with residents who lost everything. >> we're thinking of you. >> reporter: the president toured the storm-ravaged area with new york's governor and the mayor of staten island. he thanked first responders, military personnel and fema workers. >> i'm very proud of you, new york. you guys are tough. you bounce back. just as america always bounces back. the same is going to be true this time out. >> reporter: the president met privately with a mother and father from a neighborhood here on staten island. their two young sons died after they were swept away by the storm. >> obviously, i expressed to them as a father, as a parent, my heartbreak over what they went through. >> reporter: 47,000 new yorkers have applied for housing help through fema. many want the government to act faster. >> everybody thinks they will be first in line. there's people who need

assistance a lot faster than others. so eventually they will get to everybody. >> what do you think about president obama's visit? >> hopefully he can do some pep down here. help things change. >> reporter: after the tour the president urged insurance companies to quote, show some heart and some spirit in helping these people rebuild. straight ahead your friday morning weather and in this morning's moneywatch more trouble for twinkie maker hostess. some long awaited news on the job front for college graduates. this is the "cbs morning news". and this craftsman impact wrench, for $89.99. this is how to gift. this is sears. till you finish your vegetables. [ clock ticking ] [ male announcer ] there's a better way... v8 v-fusion. vegetable nutrition they need, fruit taste they love.

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. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. new york mostly cloudy, 50 degrees. miami morning showers 81. chicago mostly sunny 49 trees. dallas mostly sunny 66. l.a. chance of showers, 70 degrees. time now for a check of the national forecast. the east will be mainly sunny and dry with cool temperatures. much of the south sunny and dry with below average temperatures. pleasant weather extends across the midwest. rain and mountain snow will reach from washington state to central california. on cbs moneywatch it's do or die for snack maker hostess and the hiring outlook for the next crop of college graduates, ashley morrison is here in new york with more. >> reporter: this could be the day when hostess brand goes out of business. the maker of twinkies, won bread

and other products say it may liquidate its business as early as today unless striking workers go back to work. 18,000 workers would lose their job. the company shut three plants earlier this week. some employees will return to work. continued concerns about the fiscal cliff in the u.s. slowed down stocks in asia. hong kong's hang seng grew up and the nikkei added 2%. wall street stocks posted a third consecutive decline driven by weak retail forecasts and higher unemployment claims. the dow lost 28 points on thursday. nasdaq ended nine points lower. investors will be watching today's meeting between president obama and congressional leaders for signs of a break in the fiscal cliff negotiations. federal reserve chairman says banks are keeping the economy from getting better. many credit worthy borrowers

can't get loans to buy new homes. he says banks lending rules have slumped too far the other way after the lacks mortgage lending that led to the financial crisis. the red ink gets deeper for the postal service. the agency reported a record loss of almost $16 billion for the fiscal year that ended on september 30th. the postal service is not taxpayer funded. it blames much of its problems on congress for forcing it to pay a fund for future retiree health benefits. fedex and united parcel service are the target of a federal crackdown against the illegal sale of prescription pain killers. u.p.s. is likely to settle the case but fedex will fight any charges. the investigation is part of a wider federal effort against companies that aided illegal drug sales from online pharmacies. the hiring picture is expected to be mixed in the coming year for college graduates. a state university survey of 2,000 employers suggests

employers will increase hiring of new four year grads by 5%. those with associate degrees will see a 30% increase but mba hiring is expected to drop sharply. and smartphones are expected to play a much bigger role in thisle holiday shopping season. "usa today" reports retailers are making increased use of smartphones and other technology. the point is to get consumers to buy in the tor not online. they will do it by offering discounts and other incentives all with the use of an app. i'm waiting for the app that does laundry and cooks dinner at my house. >> use them to stay out of the stores, ashley. ashley morrison here in new york. thanks. when we return another look at this morning's top stories and sports shocker. a former pro basketball star is in jail on charges of assault. [ elizabeth ] i like to drink orange juice or have lemon in my water... eat tomato sauce on my spaghetti. the acidic levels in some foods can cause acid erosion.

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. washington partly sunny 54 degrees. ant partly sunny 61. st. louis mostly sunny 56 degrees. denver a mix of clouds and sun 54. seattle mostly cloudy 50 degrees. here's another look at the morning's top stories. overnight israel continued its attack on the gaza strip, one missile flatened a section of the interior ministry and israeli troops are amassing on the gaza border. yesterday gaza militants launched its first rocket attack on tel aviv. david petraeus was the on capitol hill about the deadly attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya. the cia opened an investigation into the sex scandal. >> and holdsclaw shot into a

former car on tuesday and she's now under arrest. she broke the car windows with a bat. she was one of the biggest names in college basketball history. she led tennessee to three championships. her ex-girlfriend is a current wnba player. accused cincinnati air trafficker had a chance to avoid jail. on wednesday a judge told mitchell he could stay out of jail if he gives up smoking marijuana. he said he would try but asked to get at least one more joint in. the judge said no and will decide what to do with him at a hearing on monday. coming up after your local news on cbs "this morning" a live update from israel on the latest round of fighting. i'm duarte geraldino. this is the "cbs morning news." ñ [ female announcer ] born from the sweet monk fruit,

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good morning and welcome to 9news now. today is let's all say it together. friday. >> november 16th. we're happy to help you welcome in the weekend. good morning, i'm andrea roane. >> and cheers, you're going to have a great day. i'm mike hydeck, thank you for joining us, monika samtani is

here, traffic momentarily. give us the good word mr. bernstein. >> going to be dry for the weekend for just about everybody and a sprinkle in the southeast and if you're traveling for thanksgiving looks like severe weather going to be relatively quiet through the holiday. >> love it. >> everybody gets to your house on time. >> oh, yeah right. >> well, good morning all. >> turkey ready. >> on the way tomorrow. all right. weather-wise -- weather-wise, we've got temperatures which are down in the 30s and 40s this morning. mostly cloudy skies and even a sprinkle in southern maryland. lower eastern shore. noon 51 and a mix of clouds and sun this afternoon with a high close to 55 degrees. you can see on the satellite and radar a little system in eastern north carolina got areas across southeastern virginia and some of that is actually stuck into areas not too far away. the shadyside area, dunkirk and prince frederick. e. j. tolding me .500 of an

inch of rain have fallen overnight. but only should be around for a couple more hours and then turn again into partly sunny conditions this afternoon. across the region we've got mid 40s on the bay and down in southern maryland. but look north and west, we're in the low 30s there. so big range in temperatures and highs this afternoon low to mid-50s. 4:27, here comes monika samtani smiling on this friday with timesaver traffic. happy friday everybody. 14th street southwest, north of main avenue, there had been a tractor-trailer on fire. i was just told that everything was reopened good to go in that area. 14th street southwest north of main avenue the 300 block we're talking about. beltway behind me pretty much green. looking good on 395 as well. a live look in springfield northbound 95 or actually this is construction i wanted to tell you about. it's inbound canal road right at the key bridge. very difficult to get around it and squeeze around as you

travel on to the outbound key bridge and inbound as well lanes are reduce. watch out for that overnight construction here in northwest d.c. right at georgetown. a look at the maps again this time on southbound 270. not bad at all out of frederick, one more last live look outside at university boulevard and the beltway. lanes are open as well. back to you. right now there's an active amber alert in virginia at this hour. police say they have reason to believe the suspects may be headed for the d.c. area. >> deputies in halifax county are looking for 1-year-old alexis rose carwile. she's 2 and a half feet tall, weighs about 20 pounds and i think she's 18 months old i heard. brown hair and brown eyes. she was last seen wearing -- police suspect that alice was abducted by the man, 41-year- old eric eugene black and 35-

year-old jennifer dawn carwile. they are believed to be driving a 1985 brown or taupe nissan station wagon. here's the license plate -- brown or taupe nissan station wagon -- one week after resigning as director of the cia david petraeus will tell members of the house and senate intelligence committees what he knows about the attacks in benghazi, libya. >> four americans were killed in the attack including u.s. ambassador chris stevens. susan mcginnis has more. >> reporter: former cia director david petraeus is headed to capitol hill this morning to talk about the attack on the u.s. consulate in mbenga zoo. congressional leaders say he has a unique insight into the attack. >> director petraeus went to tripoli. he interviewed many of the people as i understand it that were involved. >> reporter: house and senate intelligence committee members